Master Salesforce Lightning Out with our detailed guide and video tutorial. Learn how to create and host apps mirroring Salesforce aesthetic externally.
In this article, we’ll delve into the world of Salesforce's Lightning Out feature. We'll learn how to leverage this feature to build apps that mirror the Salesforce aesthetic, all while being hosted outside of Salesforce. You can expect a step-by-step guide, supplemented by a detailed video tutorial, aimed at helping you create a public opt-out page hosted outside of Salesforce.
Here are our 5 key takeaways:
It’s no secret that Lightning Out has been out for a while and has been used to build apps that have the same look and feel as Salesforce by using components directly (instead of styling them only) while also hosting them outside of Salesforce. While you can use Aura or Visualforce components, I haven’t seen a lot of tutorials utilizing Lightning Web Components, so I decided to make one.
In this video, we’re doing a public opt-out page hosted outside of Salesforce (GitHub Pages) to update or create records in Salesforce. The video is in more detail, but here are the steps:
And thank you Atlas for this video walkthrough! (Atlas is a Salesforce Developer at EMPAUA and a moderator at SFXD . He shares what he has learned over his years of own experience in the Salesforce community. You can read more articles of him on SalesforceBen , and follow him Twitter. )
Salesforce Lightning Out is a unique framework that empowers developers to utilize Lightning Components outside of the Salesforce platform. These components can be embedded in any web app, regardless of its tech stack, greatly expanding their versatility. Lightning Out essentially acts as a bridge, enabling communication between Salesforce and external platforms.
The benefits and potential uses of Lightning Out are plentiful. One of the primary advantages is reusability. Developers can create a component once and utilize it across multiple platforms, increasing efficiency. Lightning Out also provides a consistent UI across applications, improving user experience.
To begin working with Lightning Out, you need to have a working knowledge of JavaScript and Apex, as well as a basic understanding of Salesforce Lightning Components.
Regarding permissions, you need to have 'Modify All Data' permission in your Salesforce account to create and configure Lightning Out.
Let's dive into how to use Salesforce Lightning Out.
First, you must create a Lightning Component. From your Salesforce Developer Console, navigate to 'File' > 'New' > 'Lightning Component', provide a name, and click 'Submit'. Write your component's code in the provided editor.
Next, create a Lightning Out Dependency App, which is a Lightning Application that declares dependencies on Lightning Components. From the Developer Console, navigate to 'File' > 'New' > 'Lightning Application', name the application, and click 'Submit'.
In the application's code, include 'ltng:outApp' as an interface and 'ltng:require' to list the dependencies, which would be your Lightning Component.
To deploy your Lightning Component, add a few lines of JavaScript to your external website's code. This JavaScript will initialize the Salesforce Lightning Component framework and render your Lightning Component.
For data exchange between your Lightning Component and Salesforce, you can use Apex. Create an Apex Controller with methods for fetching or updating data. In your Lightning Component, add 'controller' attribute referring to your Apex Controller.
While working with Lightning Out, you might encounter issues like a blank component rendering on your web page or data not being fetched or updated. A common cause for such problems is incorrect configurations or errors in the JavaScript code. Ensure you've followed the instructions correctly and thoroughly check your code.
To troubleshoot, utilize the browser's developer tools, particularly the console for JavaScript errors and the network tab for request/response issues.
Performance optimization of Lightning Out involves efficient data handling. Minimize data fetches, use pagination for large data sets, and leverage client-side caching.
Ensure your external website uses HTTPS to maintain secure communication with Salesforce. Also, don't expose sensitive data in your Lightning Components.
When coding, use a modular design approach, making your components reusable and manageable. Follow Salesforce's best practices for deploying Lightning Out, like testing on all target platforms before deploying.
A great real-life example of Lightning Out usage is the integration of a Salesforce CRM with an external eCommerce website. The 'Add to Cart' Lightning Component can be embedded into the eCommerce site, providing real-time inventory updates.
In this case, Lightning Out enabled seamless integration between the two platforms, enhancing the user experience and streamlining the data flow.
In this digital era, the ability to integrate platforms and reuse code is invaluable. Salesforce Lightning Out provides this capability, opening new possibilities for developers and businesses alike.
As we've explored, the range of benefits that Salesforce Lightning Out provides is extensive. From code reusability, enhanced integration capabilities, to improving user experiences, it's a tool that empowers developers and businesses to step up their digital strategy game.
As you become more and more familiar with the extent of Lightning Out capabilities, we also recommend you look into tooling that can help you deploy and synch Salesforce metadata across your various Salesforce organizations. At Blue Canvas we offer Salesforce Deployment Tools that helps you compare and synch metadata across sandboxes in minutes! For further assistance with implementation or to learn more about these features, don't hesitate to reach out to our team at Blue Canvas today.
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What is Salesforce Lightning Out?
What are the benefits of using Salesforce Lightning Out?
What prerequisites do I need to use Salesforce Lightning Out?
How do I create a Lightning Component for use with Lightning Out?
How can I troubleshoot common issues with Salesforce Lightning Out?
How can I optimize the performance of Lightning Out?
Can you provide an example of Salesforce Lightning Out usage?
How can Blue Canvas help with Salesforce Lightning Out?